Weighing-machine.



H. A. BENSON. WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIO?! FILED JULY'I, 1909. 973,909.

Patented 0011-25, 1910.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. A. BENSON. WEIGHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909.

Patented 0013.25, 1910.

4 8HEETSSHEET 3.

H. A. BENSON. WBIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1909 973,909. Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

4 SHBETSSHBET 4.

Mum/Ana Q I arro , tion showing the electrical means operated amount is HENRY BENSON, OF SCRAN'ION, PENNSYLVANIA.

WEIGHING-MAOHINE.

Taall whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY A. BENSON, a citizen of the United States residing at Scranton, in the county of Lac awanna and new and usefl Improvements in Wei -hin 'Machine's; and I do hereby declare t e fo lowing to be a full, clear, .and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in weighing machines which may be used either as ordinary weighing machines or as coin controlled weighing machines, and the object of my iuventionis to produce a device which may be used like an ordinary pair of scales up' to a certain limit, but-in case it is at- 'tem ted to weigh an object heavier than a pre etermined amount, the scales will be automatically locked until unlocked by droppilv ga coin into a slot.

th this object in view, my invention' consists in the construction and combinations" of parts as hereinafter described and claimed;

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 State of Penns lvania, have invented certain- Specification of Letters @atent.

Application filed July 7,1809. Serial No. 506,420.

is a front view of myimproved weighing.

machine, some of the interior parts being shown in dotted lines. Fig.2 is a side elevab? thefdropfingcf'a-coin. Fig.8 1s a side e eva'tion -o the magnet. and cooperating parts shown in Fi 2. Fi 4 is" a si e elevation of the parts or looking the scale beam whena weight greater than a predetermined p acedon the-platform. Fig. 5 is a cross section of a part of the connection between the'platform andthe scalebeam. Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 66 of Fig-5, and Fig.1 is a diagrammatic .view illustrating the electric circuits. Fig. 1

In the accompanying drawings, represents an ordinary platform scale with my invention applied thereto. The base 1,

movab'le platform 2, case'3, pillar4, to p rt'5, and scale-beams 6 and 7are a oft eordinary t e. I wish. to say, however, that whileI ave shown my invention as ap lied to a platform scale, it isnot limites'to this form, as .it might be applied to any scale.

- 8 represents a 'rod connecting beam with'the usual of evers,,con-

55 necting with the movable latforin 'These' +.c nnections and this -are' of the usual the scale Patented Oct. 25, 1910.

construction, exce the part shown in Fig. 5. As shown 11! t is fi re, the rod 8 is not a continuous rod, but is composed of three pieces 8, 8, and 8", the parts 8 and 8 being united 9, whereby the length of the connecting rod may be adjusted as desired. Connected to the part 8.by a screw-threaded connection, we head 10, provided with-twoupwardly projecting arms 11, each having an inwardly prolecting portion 12 The upright arms 11 connect with a similar upper head 13. Between the head 13' and the. part 8, is an insulating washer 14 having its lower part expanded, and 'similarl the'interior of the head is provided wit a T-sha edinsulating washer 15. p The lower end 0 the section 8" of the rod is-provided with a guide pin 16, adapted to move in a perforation in the top of theinsulatin plug-15. The parts'14 and 15 are preferab y made of hard rubber, hlthough any suitable insulating material ma be employed.

. e lower art of the section 8 is screwthreaded, an on. the upperpart of this s'cre'vwth'readed portion are mounted nuts 17 and 18, the nut 17 being merely a-lock nut,

and a spring 19 surroundstheart 8*, bearing a inst the nut 18 and the ower end of the p ug-14. On the lower end ofthepart- 8. is a 'nut 20, belowwhich is a'lock nut 21. On

the nut 20 ismounted a contact washer 22,

having a' sharp-upper edge and adapted,

' when the spring 19 1s sufliciently compressed,

to strike a 'nst the projections'12. on the arms 11,- t ereby comfleting anelectrical circuit, as hereinafter escribed.

"The tension of the spring 19 is so ar-, ranged that if a weight up to a predetermined limit, say lbs, is placed upon the platform 2, the connectin rods 8, 8, and 8 will move as one iece, spring 19 being strong enough to es these three parts in ,the relative positions own in Fig; 5, but in together by a screw-threaded sleeve case a greater weight is placed on the plat form 2, the spring 19 will be compressed, whereupon the pro ections-12 will strike the part 22 completingan electric circuit, as

ereinafter pointed out.- on completion-10f this electric circuit, the scale beams 6 and 7 are immediat ly i ked and heldv locked until released .by-the insertion of coin into the" e, and this isdonein the followin manner:

no o theiend of the scale ispivotally attaehed1l -,downw'ardly' projecting rodf28,

which asses through a perforation in the top of t e part 5. This rod is provided with a series ofreduced portions 24 near its lower end. Within the top support 5 is located means for locking said rod 23 against movement, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and also shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 4. This device consists of two bent levers with various offsets and shoulders. These levers are similar in shape but oppositely arranged, and each consists of a horizontal end portion 25 to which is attached a spring 26, adjustably supported on a screw-threaded rod 27, provided with a thumb nut 28. The lever is then rovided with a vertical part- 29, ahorizonta part 30, a thickened horizontal part 31, in which is carried a steel arma- 1 46, it strikes aga ture 32 for the corresponding magnet, a verticalortion 33, a horizontal portion 34, a vertica portion 35, and a horizontal portion 36, carrying a pin 37, the whole being pivoted on a pin'38. These levers cross each other, being ofi'set so as to move freely on the pin 38, and the springs always tend to keep the levers in the position shown in the dot d lines, that is, disengaged from the rod 23. The limit of motion ofeach of these levers is governed by set screws 39 and 40, adjustably secured in .a bent bracket 41. 42 and 43 represent ordinary electro-magnets adapted to attract, when energized,'the corresponding armatures 32 and 44.

The arm 23 is locked until released by the passage of a coin. This coin is dropped into a slot 45 and falls down throu h the illar 4 in a slot 46 between uides 4 see Fig. 2. As the coin leaves-the ower end-of the slot inst an inclined partition-'48 and is deflects so that it strikes a bent arm 49, carried on the end of a vibrating lever 50. The lever 50 is pivoted on a pin 51, and a sprin 52 ordinarily holds the lever in the position shown in Fig. 2 until the part 49 is struck by the falling coin. Ad- Justable set screws 53 and 54 limit the movement of the lever 50 in either direction. The lever 50, which maybe of wood or other insulating material, is provided with a flat armor dplate 55, extending from its inner end, an ma be provided with an aperture 56 her'eina er referred to. Operating in conjunction with this arm 55, as shown mostclearly in Figs. 2 and 3, I provide mechanism operating upon the de osit of a coin to shunt the current from t e main circuit to-release the scale beams by permittin the able contact screw f and the contact point e, cooperating with an adjustable contact screw 9, the contact screw 9 being supported b the standard It and the contact screw f j designates a spring connected with one end of the armature and switch'arm a, andat the other end connected to the adjusting screw is, so that the armature a is normally drawn away from the elect'ro-magnet 57,

with the contact point a in engagement with and 43 of the locking device, and the other branch 62 running to one end of the coil of magnet 57 of the shunting device, the other end of the coil being connected by a wire 57* .(Fig. 2) to the bracket 2', carrying the contact screw f. 63 designates a wire running from the coils of the electro-magnets .42 and connected to the contact screw g, through the standard it. 64 designates a wire forming a connection between the contact arm c: of the'arniature a and the battery.

In operation it will be seen that the machine maybe placed in a store, for example, and the inachlne may be used by the storekeeper for ordinary-weighing purposes up to a certainpredetermined limit for which the spring 19 is set, for instance 50 lbs.

Under such conditions, the locking appa-- ratus will not be brou ht into action, within that limit, and the see c will act exactly like an ordinary scale. If, however, a weight greater than the predetermined amount be placed on the platform 2, the spring 19 is compressed and. the part 22 contacts with the projections 12, completing an electric circuit, which runs from the battery 58 through the wire 59' the connecting rod 8, the wire 60 around coils of the magnets 42 and 43, thence through the wire 63, the contact post h, the contact screw g, the armature an switch a, and finally through the wire 64 to the batte 58. As the current passes around the coi of the electro-magnets 42 and 43, they are energized, whereupon the lockin levers are moved into en- "",ent with t e rod 23. This holds the am locked against di lacement, but 1" a coin is dropped into t e slot 45 and fallsj'idown through the slot 46, it is de ositcd on the part 49,'throwing the lever owning supported by the bracket i.-

wardly from the position shown in Fig. 2

tact arm a oftlie annature, the contact pgint e passing through the opening 56, the ontact arm is moved toward the electro-magnet and. the contact point e, leaving the contact screw g, the circuit in the main line is broken, while the contact point-d e aging the contact screw f a circuit is imme iately closed through the wire 59, the rod 8, the

wire 60, the wire 62, the coils of the magnet 5'7,'the wire 57, the bracket. 5, the contact screw f, the armature and wire '64. U on the mam circuit being 0 ned the locking levers assume their norma position and the scale beam is free to move,=the second cir cuit being maintained closed by the energized magnet 57. After the weight has been moved from the scale platform, the parts 12 and 22 are moved out of contact Wlth-6fl0h scribed.-

Ition of a plat as.-

other, and the auxiliary circuit'is thereby opened and the parts again assume their normal position with the contact point e in engagement with the contact screw g.

claim: J

' 1. In a weighing machine, 'thecombination, of a platform, a'scale electric means whereby said scale beam is prevented,

from operating when a weight; greater than a predetermined amountis placed on the .platform, said means, including a 'twoart adjustable connection between said'plat orm and the scale beam, substantially as de 'ng machine, the combinaorm, a scale beam, and electrically operated means wherebysaidscale beam is prevented from movement when a weight ater than a predetermined amount is p ac on the platform, said means includ- 21 In a weigln mg a two-part connection between said platform and the scale beam, the parts thereof being provided with suitable'insulating materia with a spring forregulating the relative movement between said parts and means for ad'usting said sprin an ntially as described. Y

' automatically. locking said rod against movement substantially asdescribed. v

4. Inawei ing machine, the combination of a pla orm, a scale beam, and means whereby said scale beam is prevented from moving when a weight determined amount is seed on the platform, said means inclu ing a rod attached to said scale beam, electrically operated gripping means-for holding said rod against movement, and an extensible connection be-.

tween said platform and-said scale beam,

,whereby. an electric circuit is closed when said connection is extended to a predetermined amount, substantially as described.

In a wei hing machine, the combination of a platfbrm,a scalebeam, and means whereby said scale beam is. prevented from.

moving when a weight aterthan a predetermined amount. is on the platform, said means inclu g a rod attached to said scale beam, electrically. operated I said rod and preventing means for grippin 5 a two-part adjustable,

its movement, an

, pring-controlled connection, between said s p atform .and said scale beam, whereby when the spring in said connection is compressed to a predetermined amount, an electric circuit is closed and the rod attached. to

eater than a prethe scale beam locked, substantially as de- 'In, testimony whereof, I afiix ,my signature', in presence of two witnesses. ,L i HENRY A. BENSON.

Witnesses:

Many B, Gannonnn,

Fmamcx H. Wnmam. n 

